Method and system for cost-effective power line communications for sensor data collection

ABSTRACT

A method and system includes a solar panel. A power bus is coupled to the solar panel. The power bus supports transmission of AC communication signals. A slave node, coupled to the power bus, transmits information regarding solar panel performance. A master node, remotely coupled to the slave node over the power bus, receives the information regarding solar panel performance from the slave node.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. App. No. 61/198,991, filed Nov. 12, 2008, entitled “Current-ModePower Line Communications” and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. App.No. 61/198,989, filed Nov. 12, 2008, entitled “Method and System forCost-Effective Power Line Communications for Sensor Data Collection,”both of which are assigned to the assignee hereof and hereby expresslyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of communicationsand, more particularly, to power line communications.

BACKGROUND

Many of the issues involved in sending communication signals over DCpower lines are similar to sending such signals over the AC power grid.For example, the properties of the transmission medium can vary greatly.As another example, the amount and nature of noise sources are verydifficult to predict.

However, there are some important differences too. While on the AC powergrid, loads are mostly of an inductive nature, and some loads may beresistive and a few subtly capacitive. On a DC power bus, virtually allloads and sources are capacitive in nature. Another key difference liesin the use of transformers to convert between different voltage levelson an AC power grid that cannot be similarly employed on a DC bus.Hence, a majority of sources and loads on a DC bus employ electronicDC-DC converters, which are very strong noise emitters.

There are many challenges to communicating digital data quickly andreliably over a set of wires intended to conduct electrical energy. Fora variety of reasons, the signal carrier frequency should not exceed 500kHz. One reason is to avoid antenna effects, and avoid excessive signalattenuation and unintentional electromagnetic radiation. Power linecarrier frequency is typically between 90 kHz and 490 kHz for a smallpower line network as might be used for a residence. Larger commercialpower line installations must further limit the maximum carrierfrequency so that the effective length of the wires does not exceed ⅛ ofthe carrier wavelength.

Low carrier frequency, in turn, means that the rate of signal that canbe modulated on such a carrier is also very low to maintain a certainpayload to carrier ratio. The signal rate that can be carried by afrequency is also limited by severe noise and attenuation typical ofpower lines because the slower the signal rate, the more energy iscarried by a single symbol (bit). With more energy in a bit, the lesslikely it will be corrupted in transmission.

There are several types of products on the market at this time toaddress the needs of power line communications. For example, broadbandcommunication products deliver local area network performance but oftencan not handle more than just a handful of nodes on the network.Broadband communication products also often lack the robustness andreliability that is needed for a sensor network.

SUMMARY

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, a method and systemincludes a solar panel. A power bus is coupled to the solar panel. Thepower bus supports transmission of AC communication signals. A slavenode, coupled to the power bus, transmits information regarding solarpanel performance. A master node, remotely coupled to the slave nodeover the power bus, receives the information regarding solar panelperformance from the slave node.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the slave nodeincludes a first controller.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the master nodeincludes a second controller.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the informationregarding solar panel performance is transmitted using a spread spectrumcommunications technique.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the master nodetransmits information regarding configuration to the slave node.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the informationregarding configuration includes at least one of identificationinformation, channel information, and transmission timing information.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the slave nodeincludes a single channel modem.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the slave nodeincludes a single channel modem employing single carrier FSK.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the master nodeincludes a plurality of single channel modems.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the master nodeincludes a digital signal processor (DSP).

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the informationregarding solar panel performance includes at least one of electricalpower consumption, electrical power generation, power quality, andenvironmental parameters.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the slave nodeoperates in a configuration mode and a data collection mode.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, the slave node is asensor having an LED to visibly indicate operation in a configurationmode or a data collection mode.

In one of many embodiments of the present invention, a backup masternode is further provided.

Other embodiments and features of the present invention will be apparentfrom the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description whichfollows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and notlimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary adapter for coupling with a currenttransformer in a communication system in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary hull curve of a frequency modulation(FM) communications carrier in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary circuit in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary circuit including a load or source inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary circuit including a segmented DC bus inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic representation of an exemplary energygeneration system in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6A is an exemplary method in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a peer-to-peer network.

FIG. 8 illustrates a master-slave network in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a photovoltaic installation system (or energygeneration system) in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a graph of channels of a communication system inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an exemplary method of a communications protocol inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the description. It will be apparent, however, to oneskilled in the art that embodiments of the disclosure can be practicedwithout these specific details. In some instances, structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring thedescription. In other instances, functional block diagrams are shown torepresent data and logic flows.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“other embodiments” or the like means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Theappearances of, for example, the phrase “in one embodiment” in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutuallyexclusive of other embodiments.

Moreover, whether or not there is express reference to an “embodiment”or the like, various features are described which may be exhibited bysome embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements aredescribed which may be requirements for some embodiments but not otherembodiments.

The methods and systems of the present invention relate to transmissionof AC communications signals over DC power lines. The method and systemof the present invention is an advancement over conventional practicesof providing communications over AC power lines, both at the residentiallevel for home automation as well as at the distribution level by autility company. The addition of telecommunications signals over DCpower lines in accordance with the method and system of the presentinvention has many applications, including narrow-band audiodistribution, automatic meter reading, system diagnostics, and more.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is designed for the useof electrical power wires of a solar panel installation for the purposeof monitoring the performance of the individual solar panels andcollection of their performance data at a centralized station. However,the present invention can have a variety of additional applications,including but not limited to any direct current power distributionsystem. In one embodiment, the present invention can be used inapplications wherein the communication frequencies used do not create anantenna effect, i.e., ⅛ (one-eighth) wavelength of the communicationssignal does not exceed the dimensions of the power distribution lines.

As stated above, there are important distinctions between thetransmission of communication signals over DC power lines versus the ACpower grid. While on the AC power grid, most loads are inductive innature. Other loads may be resistive and while still others may becapacitive. On a DC power bus, almost all loads and sources arecapacitive in nature. Another key difference lies in the use oftransformers to convert between different voltage levels on an AC powergrid that cannot be similarly employed on a DC bus. Hence a majority ofsources and loads on a DC bus employ electronic DC-DC converters, whichcharacteristically can be very strong noise emitters.

In certain circumstances, the capacitive nature of DC loads and sourcescan be mitigated to some degree using series inductive filters. Such useof inductors as filters would attenuate AC noise as well, in turnallowing the conventional use of voltage mode AC communication signalsover a fairly known impedance range for communications. However, theseinductors may be physically large due to the need for them to sustainhigh currents while being connected in series to the DC power bus. Therelative high expense of such a technique can rival or far exceed thecosts of running separate, dedicated wires for communications, anotherundesirable technique.

Instead of “fighting” or otherwise attempting to remediate thecapacitive nature of the DC bus and hence its related tendency toexhibit very low impedance to AC communications signals, the presentinvention innovatively leverages those qualities of the DC bus toadvantage. In this regard, it is assumed that all loads are capacitivein nature and thus the transmission line impedance is very low, namelylower than 2Ω. Thus, the communications signal is carried over the DCbus in the form of AC current. In this manner, the loads appear as“short circuits” to the AC communications signal, and do not attenuatethe signal significantly when connected in series.

Appropriate measures can be employed to achieve low impedance of loadsand sources. Whenever a load or source has impedance that is too high,the problem can be mitigated by connecting a capacitor in parallel tothe load or source. Also, if a load generates an undue amount of noise,a capacitor added directly on the terminals connecting that load to theDC bus can dissipate most of the noise. In certain extreme cases, aferrite filter may be used on one of the wires. The addition of aferrite filter in this manner can avoid the need for a capacitor that isexcessively large.

It will be appreciated that care should be exercised to avoid several DCloads or sources being connected in parallel too closely to one another.Such a connection would undesirably create natural inductance from theloads. The resulting inductance would attenuate the AC signal to anundue degree.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a currenttransformer is employed to convert a current mode AC signal, whichcarries communications signals, to and from a conventional voltage mode.The use of a current transformer allows the communications signal to begenerated and received using existing electronic components. The currenttransformer, a low cost device often used to measure AC current on powerlines, has a wider bandwidth so that the current transformer itself doesnot dissipate the AC communications signal.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the current transformerincludes a Rogowski coil. The Rogowski coil is a toroidal coil having anair core. The Rogowski coil serves as a secondary winding for thecurrent transformer, with the primary winding being the power wirethreaded through the center of the toroid. The current transformerserves to match transceiver impedance with transmission line impedance.The transceiver impedance is typically in the 50 to 100 ohm range, whilethe transmission line impedance is in the 0.25 to 0.75 ohm range. In oneembodiment, the current transformer has a winding ratio in the range of1:50 to 1:200, where the high-current power wire serves as the singlewinding of the primary coil of the transformer.

FIG. 1 shows an overview of an exemplary adapter 100 that can drive orlisten to Rogowskis coil to form a communication system in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention. The adapter 100 includesCPU 101, random access memory (MEM) 102, non volatile memory (NVM) 103,input/output (I/O) system 104, modulator 105 a, demodulator 105 b, mixer105 c, and bus 106. A coupling current transformer 110, which isdescribed in more detail below, is coupled to the adapter 100 and to aDC power bus, as discussed in more detail below. In one embodiment, anembedded processor can be used to combine many elements of the adapter100. The CPU 101 can be a digital signal processor (DSP), or both a CPUand DSP. The CPU 101 is connected to the bus 106, which can contain apower distribution to supply power to, for example, the non volatilememory (NVM) 103, random access memory (RAM) MEM 102, and theinput/output (I/O) system 104. The bus 106 communicates with the mixer105 c through the modulator 105 a and the demodulator 105 b. In oneembodiment, the mixer 105 c can be a multiplexer or two band passfilters. Together, the modulator 105 a and demodulator 105 b canconstitute a modem.

In one embodiment, the modulator 105 a and the demodulator 105 b caninclude analog components, with the rest of the modem implemented insoftware and stored together with other programs in the non volatilememory (NVM) 103. In one embodiment, the input/output (I/O) system 104can connect directly to sensors. In one embodiment, control functionsmay also reside in non volatile memory (NVM) 103 or inside the CPU 101in the form of analog-to-digital converters to, for example, measure thephotovoltaic cell voltage, current, temperature, etc. In one embodiment,the input/output (I/O) system 104 may be used to communicate with, forexample, other controllers. The CPU 101, together with the random accessmemory (RAM) MEM 102 and the non volatile memory (NVM) 103, also canconcurrently control a voltage or current conversion to optimizeperformance of solar panels.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary hull curve of a frequency modulation (FM)communications signal 200 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. The hull curve of the communications signal 200 isshown on a graph where the x-axis represents frequency and the y-axisrepresents amplitude. The communications signal is carried over the DCpower lines with a center frequency f_(c). f_(l) and f_(u) appear aspeaks around center frequency f_(c). In one embodiment, single side bandmodulation (SSB) or dual side band modulation (DSB) can be used.

FIG. 3 is a simplified electrical diagram showing an exemplary circuit300 including a pair of coupling current transformers 110 a and 110 b.The coupling current transformers are implemented to include Rogowskicoils in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Thecoupling current transformers 110 a, 110 b have equal winding ratios.The current transformers 110 a, 110 b are connected to one another by asimple current loop wiring 301 having a length L. If the current loopwiring 301 is relatively short, i.e., the length L is approximately afew inches, the impedance of the current loop wiring 301 will approachzero. In this regard, the current transformers 110 a, 110 b andimpedance mismatch between each of their secondary windings and,respectively, an electronic signal source 303 and an electronic signalreceiver 305 are the only expected causes of loss in the exemplarycircuit 300. In one embodiment, the electronic signal source 303 is asignal generator operating at 60 kHz. In one embodiment, the electronicsignal receiver 305 is an oscilloscope.

If the length L of the current loop wiring 301 increases, the impedanceof the current loop wiring 301 will increase due to the inherentinductance that is proportional to the length of a straight wire. Theincreased inductance will attenuate the signal to some degree. However,as will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, thelength L can be limited to approximately one-eighth of the wavelength ofthe AC communications signal. Such a limitation is intended to avoidantenna effects and associated signal losses and radiation in view ofthe relative thickness of the power line as a transmission medium forhigh energy levels.

The impedance generated by the exemplary circuit 300 and thus theresulting attenuation are very small. Empirical results show that alength L equal to approximately 1 foot causes a loss of approximately25% of the signal strength, which would represent the loss of thecurrent transformers 110 a, 110 b. A length L equal to approximately 100feet results in approximately 50% (3 db) attenuation of the signalstrength. Neither the power line nor the coupling current transformersare expected to cause any significant attenuation.

FIG. 4 shows exemplary circuit 400 with relatively significantattenuation. The circuit 400 includes a load or source of power 401, acapacitor 402, a DC bus 403, and a coupling current transformer 110. Themore significant signal attenuation in circuit 400 is caused by the loador source 401 connected in parallel to the DC bus 403, which serves as acurrent loop wiring. As discussed above, the desire to reduce theimpedance of a current loop wiring, including any load or source, can beachieved by connecting the capacitor 402 in parallel to the load orsource 401 as close as possible to its connection to the current loopwiring, i.e., the DC bus 403, but just before the location of thecoupling current transformer 110. In this way, for the AC communicationssignal, the current loop maintains its low impedance. In one embodiment,the current transformer 110 can be connected to an adapter like the kinddiscussed above in connection with FIG. 1.

The low impedance of the current loop wiring, i.e., the DC bus 403, isfairly immune to electromagnetic fields in the environment surroundingthe circuit 400. Any voltage induced onto the wire by external electricor magnetic fields is readily dissipated by the low impedance of thewire. Also, since the wire length is kept relatively short to avoidantenna effects, the impact of external electromagnetic fields is verysmall.

External electromagnetic fields can induce voltage onto the toroidalsecondary windings of the coupling current transformer 110. It istherefore important that the toroidal secondary windings be spread asevenly as possible in accordance with Rogowski coil principles topractically eliminate the influence of external fields on the couplingcurrent transformer 110.

It will be appreciated that the most significant noise sources can bethe energy sources and loads present on the DC bus. Such energy sourcesand loads typically can contain electronic switching voltage convertersoperating in frequencies that are near the AC communications signalcarrier and generate very strong harmonics. For this reason, a bypassparallel capacitor 402 can be connected to such noisy energy sources andloads just behind the coupling transformer. In one embodiment, aninductive filter (not shown) can be connected in series with theparallel capacitor to address energy sources and loads with extremelyhigh noise levels.

Problems may arise with scale. Increased scale would lead to a largenumber of parallel branches that may cause attenuation to a degree thatcannot be addressed by simply adding series inductors to each of theparallel branches. In extreme cases, the cable length may exceed what ispossible with a given carrier frequency and result in electromagneticemissions and increase noise susceptibility.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary circuit 500 that addresses this concern byseparating the DC bus 403 into independent segments 403 a and 403 b.This is accomplished by adding a large parallel, separating capacitor402 at a predetermined DC bus location. In one embodiment, the impedanceof the capacitor 402 is similar to the overall impedance of the DC bus403, typically less than or equal to 1 ohm. The predetermined DC buslocation is based on various considerations with the desire to keep thelength of each segment below λ/4, where λ is the wavelength of thelowest carrier frequency used in signaling. Such length prevents thewires from becoming powerfully radiating antennae. Several segments maybe required on long buses. A pair of current transformers 110 a and 110b are coupled with the DC bus 403 with their secondary windingsinterconnected on the sides of the separating capacitor 402 via separatelink 510. The separate link 510 provides a separate path for the ACcommunications signal. In one embodiment, one or more active amplifiers(not shown) may be added in the separate link 510 (uni-directional orbi-directional) to amplify weak signals in systems with very longwiring. The amplifiers can be made as clamp-on units that do not requirea splicing of cables by having spikes that tap the wires and cores thatopen for mounting.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an energy generation system 600including an exemplary typical photovoltaic (PV), or solar cell, array604 a-n. Three solar panels in the photovoltaic array 604 a-n are shownin a series configuration 603 a, and three solar panels in thephotovoltaic array 604 a-n are shown in a series configuration 603 b.The series configuration 603 a is connected in parallel with the seriesconfiguration 603 b. The number of solar panels can of course vary.

The photovoltaic array 604 a-n is connected to an inverter 620, which isconnected to a capacitor 602 a and a current coupling transformer 610 a.The capacitor 602 a and the current coupling transformer 610 a functionin the manner described above in connection with, for example, thecapacitor 402 and the current coupling transformer 110. The inverter 620takes power from the DC bus and delivers AC power.

Each of the panels in the photovoltaic array 604 a-n is connected to acorresponding capacitor 602 b-n and a corresponding current couplingtransformer 610 b-n. The current coupling transformer 610 b-n can beconnected to a corresponding adapter (not shown) like the kind discussedabove in connection with FIG. 1. Each panel with capacitor 602 b-n,current coupling transformer 610 b-n, and adapter functions in themanner described above in connection with, for example, the capacitor402, the current coupling transformer 110, and the adapter 100. Each ofthe coupling current transformers 610 b-n can be connected to anappropriate adapter, sending and receiving voltage mode AC communicationsignals carrying digital information. As discussed above, the capacitors602 b-n serve as AC bypass capacitors that are located near each panel(or source/load) in the photovoltaic array 604 a-n and located justbefore the current coupling transformer 610 b-n. In one embodiment, thecapacitors in controllers (or local management units or other DC to DCconverters) are large enough to obviate the addition of capacitors 602b-n.

In one embodiment, ferrite filters (not shown) can be coupled, orsnapped, onto the DC bus (i.e., power wires) to add inductance. In oneembodiment, a ferrite filter can be connected to each series branch ofpanels in the photovoltaic array 604 a-n for impedance control. In oneembodiment, a ferrite filter can be connected on the wire between theinverter 620 and its bypass capacitor 602 a to even better address theswitching noise induced by the inverter 620. In one embodiment, a pairof current transformers with their secondary windings interconnected onthe two sides of a separating capacitor via a separate link are coupledto the DC bus at certain intervals, as discussed above in connectionwith FIG. 5.

FIG. 6A is an exemplary method 700 in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention. At a step 702, a current transformer is coupledto a power bus adjacent a solar panel. At step 704, a capacitor isconnected in parallel with the solar panel and between the currenttransformer and the solar panel. At step 706, an adapter is coupled tothe current transformer. At step 708, a current transformer is coupledto the power bus adjacent an inverter. At step 710, a capacitor isconnected in parallel with the inverter and between the currenttransformer and the inverter.

While some embodiments have been described, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that various other embodiments in accordance with thepresent invention are also possible. For example, while the abovediscussion was focused primarily on the DC bus, the present inventioncan also be applied for a low frequency AC bus. As another example,while the coupling current transformers have been described to include aRogowski coil, the coupling current transformers of the presentinvention can include variations of the Rogowski coil and transformersother than the Rogowski coil. As yet another example, while thediscussion above sometimes refers to a source and other times refers toa load, the present invention can apply to both sources and loads, asappropriate.

As stated above, several types of products can address the needs ofpower line communications. One type is narrowband power linecommunication products. The narrowband power line communication productscan be roughly divided into two types: one type involves single or dualcarrier tones, while a newer type mostly involves a kind of spreadspectrum technique involving a large number of carrier tones or adigitally synthesized equivalent.

The single and dual-tone modem solutions are robust and proven, and canfit most budgets. However, such solutions often are not able to transmitnearly as much data as is needed to scale the number of sensors andsampling frequency as required in an energy generation system with manysensors. Single and dual-tone power line modems can transmit between1,200 to 4,800 bits per second, and are very inexpensive to implement.

The spread spectrum solutions show even better robustness and a muchhigher throughput, but can be expected to cost much more than mostapplications can justify. Spread spectrum power line modems transmitbetween 32 to 100 kilobits per second by transmitting multiple carriertones, each modulated with a portion of the payload bit stream. Inspread spectrum communications, the input bits are separated intosub-streams along with some amount of redundant data to be used to laterrecover the data in the event that a portion of it was corrupted. Eachsub-stream is modulated onto one of the many carriers, andsimultaneously transmitted.

Such a multi-tonal system can be reasonably expected to be moreexpensive than a single-tone modem by a factor similar to the number oftones employed simultaneously. If the spread spectrum technique isimplemented by means of digital signal processing, rather than byemploying multiple modems, the cost of the digital signal processingsystem depends on its computational power. The computational power, inturn, also depends on the bandwidth of the spread spectrum technique,which is roughly equivalent to the number of concurrent carrier tonesemployed.

Based on the foregoing, the simple modems that are affordable are fartoo slow, and the fast modems are very expensive. What is needed is asimple yet effective method and system for collection of digitalinformation from a large number of digital sensors over power wiring,avoiding the need for a separate communications network. The methods andsystems of the present invention described herein achieve a high rate ofdata among a very large number of devices on a single power line whilekeeping the cost low.

In one embodiment, the present invention includes the separate anddistinct implementation of slave communication nodes and a mastercommunications node. In contrast to the present invention, existingsolutions treat communication nodes as equal, aiming at peer-to-peercommunications that mimic a local area network of computers, asdescribed in more detail below in connection with FIG. 7. In accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention, a slave node is a digitalsensor. In one embodiment of the present invention, a master node is adata collection computer to store and analyze collected data, or thegateway that connects the data collection computer to the power line.Note that on any given network there is one master node, making theimplementation cost of the master node relatively insubstantial. At thesame time, in one embodiment, the same network could host as many as 500slave nodes (i.e., sensors) which can be implemented relativelyinexpensively, as described in more detail below in connection withFIGS. 8 and 9. In one embodiment, a second master node can be added tothe network to provide redundancy.

FIG. 7 shows a peer-to-peer network 700 with modem units 701 a-n,including one modem unit at a head end and the Units 1-n in the field.All the units are equal to one another. The units are all of the sametype and design. However, the cost per unit is higher because each unitmust be designed for and capable of handling all aspects of the desiredcommunication over the peer-to-peer network 700.

FIG. 8 shows an asymmetric master-slave network 800 of modem units (ornodes). The modem units include slave modem units 801 a-n that havelimited capabilities but are extremely inexpensive. A head end modem802, which serves as a master modem, has many more capabilities than theslave modem unit 801 a-n, and thus is more expensive. In one embodiment,the master-slave network 800 requires only one head end modem unit 802.In one embodiment, two head end mode, i.e., master modems, or more canbe employed if, for example, a backup is required or if the system isvery large in scale.

FIG. 9 shows a photovoltaic installation system (or energy generationsystem) 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Panels901 a-n are connected with controller (or converters) 902 a-n. Each ofthe converters 902 a-n has an associated slave modem unit 801 a-ncoupled to a power bus 905, as described earlier. Master modem 802 isconnected to head end controller 911. The head end (or master)controller 911 controls power inverter 910. The power inverter 910delivers electric power to the electric grid 920. In one embodiment, thecontroller 911 has connectivity to Internet 930 in the form of datadelivered over power lines. In one embodiment, the controllers can bemicrocontrollers.

In one embodiment, the present invention employs the spread spectrumprinciple of transmitting at multiple (orthogonal) frequencies. However,instead of having portions of the same bit stream split to be carried onmultiple frequencies, in one embodiment each frequency (channel) carriesa different data stream, so that multiple slave modem units can transmiton different channels concurrently. This increases the aggregatethroughput on the network by a factor equal to the number ofsimultaneously active carriers.

FIG. 10 is a graph 1000 of channels of a communication system accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, thecommunication system can be the energy generation system 900, the energygeneration system 600, or other energy generation system. The x-axisrepresents frequency and the y-axis represents amplitude. As depicted,frequency is represented by f 1003 and amplitude is represented by S1002. The graph 1000 includes a number of channels 1001 a-n, eachoperating at a frequency as shown. One or two (or another number) of thechannels 1001 a-n may be used as communication channels, for example,channel 1 or channel n. When a slave node is started or when operationof the slave node otherwise initializes, the slave node can listen toone of the communication channels.

The communication channel can act as a type of control channel. Once aslave node establishes communication with the master modem over thecontrol channel, the master modem assigns to the slave node either achannel for exclusive use or a channel shared among two or three (ormore) slave nodes. The master modem can communicate on all the channelssimultaneously, thus having all the bandwidth required for thecommunication system, but with each individual slave node having onlylimited bandwidth access. A second control channel may be used as abackup, in case the primary control channel is unavailable due to, forexample, radio frequency interference or some other operational problem.

In one embodiment, each slave node implements a single channel modemunit that can operate on one of a number of channels. The use of asingle-tone modem as the slave modem unit maintains affordability.Because the master node must be able to support a number of orthogonalchannels concurrently, cost associated with the master modem may be moresignificant. The increased cost of the master modem is acceptablebecause there may be only one (or two) master nodes on any givennetwork.

The following is an exemplary implementation according to one embodimentof the present invention. Other implementations and other embodiments ofthe present invention are also possible in accordance with the presentinvention.

A slave node can be implemented with a basic sensor. Design of the slavenode can be extended with the addition of a single-carrier FSK modem. Inone embodiment, an ST Microelectronics ST5470 chip can be used as such amodem. The ST Microelectronics ST5470 chip is very inexpensive, and canbe used with a few passive external components to implement power linecoupling and filtering. Such components add little cost to the overallcost of power line communications. The ST Microelectronics ST5470 chipsupports eight selectable orthogonal channels, and is capable ofcarrying 4,800 bits per second. In one embodiment, to implement theslave-side of a communications protocol as discussed in more detailbelow, the microcontroller (or controller) includes a data memory andthe use of appropriate software code.

In one embodiment, the master node can be efficiently implemented by,for example, several simple FSK modems. In one embodiment, up to eightST Microelectronics ST5470 chips can be used that connect to the masternode, which serves as the data collection module for solar panelperformance. A high throughput microcontroller of the master node canhandle all eight modems concurrently, and run the software code requiredto implement the master side of the communications protocol, asdiscussed in more detail below. The microcontroller transmits thecollected data along with its own diagnostic information to a mainprocessor by means of a fast serial port (e.g., 115 kbps over RS-232).In one embodiment, the main processor is part of the microcontroller. Inone embodiment, some of the processing functionality can also beprovided by processors in the modems. Each of the eight modems is set toone of the eight channels it can handle. Each modem can receive an 4.8kbps bit stream, which increases the maximum aggregate throughput of themaster node, and thus the entire network, to approximately 38,000 bitsper second. It will be appreciated that a portion of the abovetheoretical maximum throughput will be lost due to intra-frame time gapsallowing one sensor to cease transmission and another sensor tocommence. It is also possible that one of the eight channels may not beusable on some networks due to parasitic L/C resonance. Still, even withapproximately 20% of throughput lost to the aforementioned phenomena, amaster mode in accordance with the present invention can support up to500 sensors, each transmitting approximately 64 bits (inclusive ofprotocol overhead) each second.

In one embodiment, to support the type of communications discussedabove, a communications protocol coordinates the transmission of sensordata such that the bandwidth available on multiple channels isefficiently utilized. The communications protocol also facilitatesautomated configuration and identification of the sensors that would beinstalled in large number for the energy generation system and, as aresult, controls installation and maintenance costs.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary flow diagram 1100 of a communicationsprotocol from the perspective of a slave node when power is applied tothe slave modem unit. In step 1101, all slave nodes enter theconfiguration and start up mode and all connected slave nodes (sensors)are identified. In step 1102, each slave node is assigned a channel andtiming for transmission of data. In step 1103, slave nodes passivelylisten for configuration commands. In decision block 1106, it isdetermined whether data is being received on the channel from the masternode. If the answer of decision block 1106 is no, the flow proceeds tostep 1107, where the slave node changes channels. Because slave nodeschange channels, slave nodes are not left out of the network in theevent that some channels can not be used effectively. If the answer ofdecision block 1106 is yes, the flow proceeds to step 1104, where theslave node checks to see if an identification of the slave node (e.g., ahardware identification of the slave modem unit) is received from themaster node on the channel. In decision block 1105, it is determined ifsuch an identification has been received by the slave node. If theanswer of decision block 1105 is no, the flow proceeds to block 1107. Ifthe answer of decision block 1105 is yes, then the flow proceeds toblock 1108. At block 1108, the slave node responds with itsidentification to the master node.

In step 1109, the master node transmits information regardingconfiguration and, more specifically, a command to each slave node,assigning the slave nodes with a short identifier that is unique onlywithin the scope of one network and assigning each slave node with achannel where it should transmit its data. The master node also providesan indication of when a particular slave is given permission totransmit, guaranteeing that its transmission does not collide with thetransmission of other slave nodes. A communications technique canprevent multiple nodes from responding at the same time on the samechannel to a single identification command to avoid corruption of orcollision with their responses.

Each slave node switches to a regular data collection mode in step 1110,where it remains until it either loses power or detects a problem withits configuration. When in data collection mode, each slave nodepassively listens on its channel and begins transmission of informationregarding solar panel performance right after it detects a packetoriginating from another slave node that it has been assigned to follow.The transmission begins only after making sure that the transmission ofthe other slave node has been completed. Each “revolution” of slavetransmissions begins with the master node transmitting a leader packetthat may also carry some diagnostic information, including an indicationof current time of the master node.

If a slave node has failed to transmit for several minutes, i.e., eitherit failed to detect the ID of its predecessor or the channel is jammed,it reverts to the configuration and start up mode 1101, as describedabove. The master node may periodically re-enter the configuration modefor a brief time to optionally detect additional sensors that may havenot been powered along with the other sensors which have already run indata collection mode. Any failure of the master node to transmit itsdiagnostic information for a long period returns all sensors to theconfiguration mode.

In one embodiment, the sensors are equipped with an LED that is visibleduring maintenance. This LED should clearly reflect if the slave node isin configuration mode or in data collection mode so that, if for somereason a slave node has failed to communicate with the master node, itcan be easily identified and repaired.

A digital sensor in accordance with the present invention, whichmeasures phenomena and solar panel performance, such as electrical powerconsumption or generation, power quality, and various environmentalparameters, can transmit all of its measures in a single packet. Atypical sensor packet could contain between 32 to 128 bits of data. Inone embodiment, a typical data packet, including protocol overhead(e.g., data header, redundant bits for error detection, etc.) wouldconsist of 64 bits (8 bytes) of data.

In one embodiment, effective capture of most phenomena and informationregarding solar panel performance should involve high timing resolution,which means that the above described data packet should be transmittedfairly frequently. For example, electrical power quality issues lastingfor just a few seconds are serious enough to cause equipmentmalfunction, but would not be captured unless the sensor can transmitits data at least once every second. For example, assume that a datacollection rate of 1 Hz is required. The foregoing assumptions result ina data rate of 64 bits/sec per sensor or slave node, which is notexcessive if the number of slave nodes per network is reasonably small.Certain situations can grow very large and involve up to 500 sensors ona single network, which amounts to the aggregate network throughput of32,000 bits/sec.

Cost is another key requirement of the target application. To illustratehow crucial is the cost of implementation, the cost of communicationover power lines can be compared to the cost of employing an additionalset of wires to run a conventional data communications network. Thepresent invention does not entirely rule out the use of dedicated datawires for collection of electrical power measurements. However, the costof installation and maintenance can be lowered by the use of power linesto transmit data, assuming the cost of adding power line communicationscapability to every sensor does not exceed the cost of a conventionaldata network implementation.

In one embodiment, for the present invention to scale further in termsof number of slave nodes and data rate, all that is needed is a modemthat can support a larger number of channels that are orthogonal andcomply with the relevant regulations and EMI considerations relevant toa given network set up. In one embodiment, further cost reductions maybe possible with respect to a sensor by integrating its functionalityinto a fewer number of components—e.g., if a microcontroller is embeddedwith an appropriate modem.

With respect to the master node, in one embodiment, numerous discretemodems can be replaced with a DSP to implement a similar communicationsscheme in software code. The use of such a DSP can support additionalmodulation schemes that could prove more efficient or robust, and usemore orthogonal channels to support slaves nodes that are capable of alarger number of carrier frequencies.

While some embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that various embodiments are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms and are capableof being applied regardless of the particular type of machine orcomputer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

Examples of computer-readable media include but are not limited torecordable and non-recordable type media such as volatile andnon-volatile memory devices, read only memory (ROM), random accessmemory (RAM), flash memory devices, floppy and other removable disks,magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media (e.g., Compact DiskRead-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), etc.), amongothers. The instructions may be embodied in digital and analogcommunication links for electrical, optical, acoustical or other formsof propagated signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, digitalsignals, etc.

A machine readable medium can be used to store software and data whichwhen executed by a data processing system causes the system to performvarious methods. The executable software and data may be stored invarious places including for example ROM, volatile RAM, non-volatilememory and/or cache. Portions of this software and/or data may be storedin any one of these storage devices. Further, the data and instructionscan be obtained from centralized servers or peer to peer networks.Different portions of the data and instructions can be obtained fromdifferent centralized servers and/or peer to peer networks at differenttimes and in different communication sessions or in a same communicationsession. The data and instructions can be obtained in entirety prior tothe execution of the applications. Alternatively, portions of the dataand instructions can be obtained dynamically, just in time, when neededfor execution. Thus, it is not required that the data and instructionsbe on a machine readable medium in entirety at a particular instance oftime.

In general, a machine readable medium includes any mechanism thatprovides (i.e., stores and/or transmits) information in a formaccessible by a machine (e.g., a computer, network device, personaldigital assistant, manufacturing tool, any device with a set of one ormore processors, etc.).

Aspects disclosed may be embodied, at least in part, in software. Thatis, the techniques may be carried out in a computer system or other dataprocessing system in response to its processor, such as amicroprocessor, executing sequences of instructions contained in amemory, such as ROM, volatile RAM, non-volatile memory, cache or aremote storage device.

In various embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in combinationwith software instructions to implement the techniques. Thus, thetechniques are neither limited to any specific combination of hardwarecircuitry and software nor to any particular source for the instructionsexecuted by the data processing system.

In this description, various functions and operations are described asbeing performed by or caused by software code to simplify description.However, those skilled in the art will recognize what is meant by suchexpressions is that the functions result from execution of the code by aprocessor, such as a microprocessor.

Although some of the drawings illustrate a number of operations or stepsin a particular order, operations which are not order dependent may bereordered and other operations may be combined or broken out. While somereordering or other groupings are specifically mentioned, others will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and so do not present anexhaustive list of alternatives. Moreover, it should be recognized thatthe stages could be implemented in hardware, firmware, software or anycombination thereof.

Although the disclosure has been provided with reference to specificexemplary embodiments, it will be evident that the various modificationand changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader spirit as set forth in the claims. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative senserather than in a restrictive sense.

1. A system comprising: a solar panel; a power bus, coupled to the solarpanel, supporting transmission of AC communication signals; a slavenode, coupled to the power bus, for transmitting information regardingsolar panel performance; and a master node, remotely coupled to theslave node over the power bus, the master node receiving the informationregarding solar panel performance from the slave node.
 2. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the slave node includes a first controller.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the master node includes a second controller.4. The system of claim 1 wherein the information regarding solar panelperformance is transmitted using a spread spectrum communicationstechnique.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the master node transmitsinformation regarding configuration to the slave node.
 6. The system ofclaim 5 wherein the information regarding configuration includes atleast one of identification information, channel information, andtransmission timing information.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein theslave node includes a single channel modem.
 8. The system of claim 1wherein the slave node includes a single channel modem employing singlecarrier FSK.
 9. The system of claim 1 wherein the master node includes aplurality of single channel modems.
 10. The system of claim 1 whereinthe master node includes a digital signal processor (DSP).
 11. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the information regarding solar panelperformance includes at least one of electrical power consumption,electrical power generation, power quality, and environmentalparameters.
 12. The system of claim 1 wherein the slave node operates ina configuration mode and a data collection mode.
 13. The system of claim1 wherein the slave node is a sensor having an LED to visibly indicateoperation in a configuration mode or a data collection mode.
 14. Thesystem of claim 1 further comprising a backup master node.
 15. An energygeneration system for supporting AC communication signals comprising: anarray of solar panels; a plurality of slave nodes for transmittinginformation regarding solar panel performance, each solar panel in thearray associated with a corresponding slave node; and a single masternode, remotely coupled to the plurality of slave nodes over a power bus,the master node receiving the information regarding solar panelperformance from the plurality of slave nodes.
 16. The system of claim15 wherein the master node transmits information regarding configurationto the plurality of slave nodes.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein theinformation regarding configuration includes at least one ofidentification information, channel information, and transmission timinginformation.
 18. The system of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality ofslave nodes includes a single channel modem.
 19. The system of claim 15wherein the master node includes a plurality of single channel modems.20. A method of control in an energy generation system comprising: aslave node, having an associated first modem, listening forconfiguration commands from a master node, having an associated secondmodem; the slave node periodically changing channels during thelistening for configuration commands before the configuration commandsare received; the slave node receiving a command from the master node totransmit self-identifying information to the master node; the slave nodetransmitting the self-identifying information to the master node; theslave node receiving information regarding configuration from the masternode; and the slave mode switching to a data collection mode.